plaza

noun

pla·​za ˈplä-zə  ˈpla- 

1

a

: a public square in a city or town

b

: an open area usually located near urban buildings and often featuring walkways, trees and shrubs, places to sit, and sometimes shops

2

: a place on a thoroughfare (such as a turnpike) at which all traffic must temporarily stop (as to pay tolls)

3

: an area adjacent to an expressway which has service facilities (such as a restaurant, gas station, and restrooms)

4

: shopping center

Examples of plaza in a Sentence

They put his statue in the town's plaza.

Recent Examples on the Web

That could mean developing a grocery store because the town no longer has one or even a small retail plaza, Kline said. —Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2026

From his office overlooking the plaza at the Western Wall, now also closed to worshipers, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, lamented the empty plaza. —ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026

Some demonstrators remain, cheering and holding signs, but roads around the plaza are mostly reopened. —Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026

The square features an urban forest to the north; planted above railway tunnels and infrastructure, to provide a transition zone from the street to the elevated plaza. —New Atlas, 28 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Latin platea broad street — more at place

First Known Use

1683, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing plaza

• toll plaza

Rhymes for plaza

• causa

Kids Definition

plaza

noun

pla·​za ˈplaz-ə  ˈpläz- 

: a public square in a city or town